History of Eumundi

The traditional custodians of the land surrounding the town of Eumundi are the Kabi Kabi. They have been here for countless thousands of years.

Europeans started settling in the area in the late 1800s. A railway line was being built between the gold town, Gympie, and the fast-growing capital, Brisbane. In 1890, the last section to be built included a railway station for a new town that was being planned. It was called Eumundi, named after a Kabi Kabi elder from earlier in the century.

The first industry was timber and much of the surrounding land was cleared of trees and soon replaced with farms.

The First World War (1914 - 1918) had a huge impact on Eumundi, just as it did all around Australia. Twenty of the local lads lost their lives in the war. Back home, memorial trees were planted in their honour.

Agriculture replaced timber as the main industry in Eumundi after the war. Dairy was bountiful and a butter factory was built next to the railway line. Fruit was freighted to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Automobiles soon began replacing the horses and bullock wagons for transport and on the farms.

The outbreak of the Second World War (1939 – 1945) had a significant impact on the town. It was feared that the Japanese were likely to invade Australia somewhere on or near the Sunshine Coast.

After the war, Eumundi sauntered on but the timber mills closed, as did the butter factory in 1974.

The town was bypassed by the new Bruce Highway in 1976.

The original Eumundi Market began in 1979. It was a small affair but steadily grew with an excellent reputation through the 1980s and 1990s and became the colossus that it is today.